Jumanji Character is ‘Most Bad-Ass’ Yet

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson says the role he plays in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is the most “bad-ass I’ve ever played“. The former WWE star had no shortage of bad-ass roles in his transition to becoming a worldwide superstar on the big screen, from playing The Scorpion King in 2002’s The Mummy Returns and Chris Vaughn in the remake of the 2004 revenge thriller Walking Tall, to rock-solid Army gunner Road Block in GI Joe: Retaliation to four appearances as the venerable government security agent-turned-covert operative Luke Hobbs in the Fast & Furious series.

Always game to add a bit of comedy to his action roles, Johnson appears to be the perfect choice to turn on the charm once again while kicking butt in his upcoming role as Dr. Smolder Bravestone in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, a sequel/reboot to the 1995 hit that’s set to open in theaters December 20. Directed by Jake Kasdan and also starring Jack Black, Karen Gillan and Kevin Hart, the new Jumanji film flips the concept of original by changing the board game that comes to life to a video game, and one where the participants enter the world of Jumanji instead of the game coming to them.

Related: New Jumanji More of an ‘Adventure’ Than Original Movie

Following the film’s first trailer in June and its second trailer in September, Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic-Con this weekend brought with it a new look at some behind-the-scenes footage for the film. Appropriately referring to the original, which starred Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, Bonnie Hunt and David Alan Grier, among others, Johnson promises in the footage, hosted exclusively by EW, that the spirit of the 1995 film flows throughout the new version.

The star says Welcome to the Jungle offers an ample mix of action and comedy, and that Bravestone is “the most wonderful, awesome, bad-ass character I’ve ever played.” Johnson also added with his trademark charm and humor, “There are so many moments that are big laughs, and frankly, they all came from me.”

Whether or not Bravestone really is the most bad-ass role in Johnson’s career, judging from the footage in the trailers and now the tidbits offered in the new behind-the-scenes video, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle promises to be a huge hit when its releases in the holiday movie season. Johnson is definitely into the giving holiday spirit already, as he made a surprise appearance at Los Angeles Comic-Con to make an epic convention selfie video with fans, and appears primed to give another entertaining performance when he enters the uncharted video game world of Jumanji in less than two months.